


Sugar Rush

by jiandgyu



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: (9 years), Age Difference, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Sugar Daddy, CEO Lee Jihoon | Woozi, M/M, Sugar Daddy, Sugar Daddy Lee Jihoon | Woozi, University Student Kim Mingyu
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:07:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24107218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jiandgyu/pseuds/jiandgyu
Summary: Mingyu endures the hardship of being a broke university student, until one day he decides he's had enough. He meets Lee Jihoon, who is willing to give him everything he needs and wants.Or, your cliche sugar daddy fic, but JIGYU.
Relationships: Kim Mingyu/Lee Jihoon | Woozi
Comments: 14
Kudos: 134
Collections: Seventeen Rare Pair Fest: Round 1





	Sugar Rush

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [SVTRarePairFest](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/SVTRarePairFest) collection. 



> **Prompt:**  
>  Another sugar daddy fic please. Author could choose who is the daddy/baby
> 
> Note: Hi reader! This is a two chapter fic. Part two will be up hopefuly soon. Tags will be updated accordingly.

The suggestion first came to Mingyu in the form of a bold, well-placed online ad.

It is a green square in the corner of his screen that advertises _sugarrush.com_ , with an eye-catching statement: “Never worry about money again! Find a sugar daddy who wants to spoil YOU!”.

The ad also features a pretty female model carrying several shopping bags and smiling to the camera. She does look like she doesn’t have any worry at all.

Mingyu blinks. It would certainly be nice to not worry about money, but getting a sugar daddy is just absurd.

One would have thought that the computers in the university’s library would have ad-blockers installed, but apparently this one that Mingyu is using does not have one.

It’s not like he has any other choice, when he discovered this morning that his old trusty laptop has finally decided to betray him and not turn on. Mingyu had a small moment of panic since he does have a lot of schoolwork to do, but his roommate Seungkwan reminded him that their friend Wonwoo might help when it comes to computer troubles.

He contacted Wonwoo, who answered that yes, he can look into Mingyu’s laptop and try to fix it. He dropped the thing into Wonwoo’s dorm nearby, promising to pay Wonwoo after it’s done, and Wonwoo just tells him that he doesn’t have to.

Of course Wonwoo would say that, but Mingyu cannot just have Wonwoo do repairs for him for free. He would have to set aside some money to pay his friend; he might have to dip into his food budget.

At least he had some of his work saved on google drive, so he can work on them in the library. He went straight here after Wonwoo’s dorm to use one of the computers and was slaving into his homework, hoping to get all of it done before the library closes for the day. That is until the pop-up ad distracted him.

Some extra money would be nice. Maybe if he had some, he could have bought a new laptop months ago. The thing is his part-time job at a coffee shop is barely enough for his living expenses and school requirements, and especially now that his scholarship grant was reduced to 50% due to a below-par grade last semester that he did not expect at all. Professor Han is notorious for giving out seemingly random marks, and it seems that Mingyu was not lucky. It sucks when it happened, but he has since accepted it and he knows there’s nothing he could do but study well and get good grades to hopefully gain full scholarship again next year.

Meanwhile, he finds ways to earn money on top of his part-time job, including being a tutor during weekends and some random jobs for his friends. He also has to tighten his expenses, which means having to substitute ramen as dinner for most weeknights. What wouldn’t he do for a dinner of rice and grilled pork and beef…  
  


Mingyu shakes his head. He had zoned out staring into the monitor, the SugarRush model mocking him with her carefree smile. Mingyu closes the tab and sighs; he’s a little bit tired and he’s hungry. Maybe he and Seungkwan can get fried chicken delivered later, he thinks, computing his budget for the week.

Nope. He has to pay Wonwoo tomorrow or the next day. It would have to be ramen again tonight.

X

“Here it is. I did the best I could, but I don’t know how long it will last until it is broken again.” Wonwoo hands Mingyu his laptop in its bag. “You should consider buying a new one, there are many good options now that are not expensive.”

“Thanks, Wonwoo. But I can’t really consider buying anything new; this would have to do until I graduate.” Mingyu places the laptop on his desk; it had certainly been difficult not having his own laptop for almost a week, the repair taking longer than expected.

Mingyu takes out a couple of bills that he had set aside. “Here, thanks again.”

Wonwoo looks at Mingyu from where he is, seated on Seungkwan’s bed. “I told you that you don’t have to pay for it.”

“And obviously I didn’t listen. Please take it.” Mingyu says firmly.

Wonwoo sighs and gets the bills. “Fine, but we’re going to use this to eat outside. My treat. Tell Seungkwan to come too.”

Mingyu shrugs and smiles. “Sure!” He can hardly remember the last time he had eaten outside aside from street food and food from convenience stores.

Mingyu messages Seungkwan, who just got out of his last class for the day, and they agreed to meet at the place. Mingyu and Wonwoo walks to the street near their university known for food tents with student-friendly prices, Seungkwan already in there.

They settle for a rice and pork stew place, and they share their day with each other while waiting for the food.

“Why is Wonwoo paying, by the way?”

“Coz I got paid for a job.” Wonwoo points at Mingyu.

Seungkwan turns to Mingyu. “So you got your laptop already?”

“Yeah. Wonwoo said it’s still working.”

“Barely.”

Their food arrives, and the three of them barely talks for a minute as they chow down on their own food. Mingyu almost moans with how delicious the food is.

“Is the coffee shop paying you well?” Wonwoo asks in between bites of the vegetable side dish.

“Still the same. I take more hours during weekends, but I can’t really do that during weekdays because I still have to study.”

“He basically doesn’t have rest days.” Seungkwan says, his expression almost accusing. “I told him that he can’t just go like this for long, he’ll burn out before we even graduate.”

“I would have to drop out before that even happens, that is, if I can’t pay my tuition. So please tell me if you know someone who needs a tutor or needs help in their research.”

Wonwoo pauses eating. “Mingyu, you know you can always get our help, right? We’ll pitch in and lend you money if we have to.”

Mingyu looks at his friends. He knows that they mean well, but he cannot bear being a burden to them as they too are not that well-off. “I swear guys, I’m still good. Thank you though.”

He smiles to let them know that he does appreciate their concern, and it looks like it is enough for now as they continue eating, the topic not being brought up again.

Mingyu is not an optimist. He’s very realistic and practical, even sometimes to a fault, according to his friends. However, he does think that things right now, though admittedly tight, is still manageable. If he keeps doing what he does, then he can survive until the end of the semester, and hopefully things would be better.

X

It is three weeks before the end of semester, a week before their final exams, that things start to snowball for Mingyu.

He just got back from the university’s finance department, having paid the rest of the semester’s tuition using his salary from the coffee shop.

What he got aside from the receipt is a list of miscellaneous fees that the cashier said was not covered by his current scholarship program. Why this was not discussed to Mingyu at the start of the semester is beyond him; now he was informed that he has to pay all of it fully before he can take the exams next week.

Mingyu walks into their student apartment, mind spinning with thoughts. The fees amount to a considerable sum, money that he does not have now. He thought he already had everything covered until the end of semester; he even asked for a time off in the coffee shop this weekend so he can focus on studying for the exams. Now, even if he does work this weekend, it still wouldn’t be enough to pay the fees fully.

He lies on his bed, staring at the paint peeling off the ceiling. Today is Monday, and he has until the next Monday to figure this out. Until then he has a lot of requirements to finish. He had thought he could focus on doing some of them tonight, but not now.

Mingyu begins to think of a plan. If he stays up late tonight and tomorrow night, he can finish his projects and essays until Wednesday. He can have Thursday until the weekend free, as skipping classes before the end of semester wouldn’t really matter. He will call the coffee shop to tell them that he can work multiple shifts during those days; they’ll surely need extra help anyway as exam seasons are the busiest. He would have to ask to have his pay released earlier than usual, but he knows that Seungcheol-hyung will understand. Somewhere in there he would have to find time to study.

Mingyu gets up, more determined than he had ever been. At all times, he can trust himself to have a plan, and he thinks this one is solid. He just needs to get started right away.

He goes to his study desk and thinks of how he can do things more efficiently. He had already started on this essay; he figures he can finish that one quickly tonight and then start on the next. He –

Mingyu presses the power button of his laptop repeatedly, not believing what is happening. He scrambles to push the charger into its slot, hoping that maybe his laptop is just drained. No.

Mingyu does all in his power not to break down then and there, even though he is alone in their apartment.

Instead, he just walks back into his bed and curls himself into a ball. He tries his best not to let his frustration pour out of him in the form of tears, for he knows that once he starts crying it will take long for him to stop.

The thing is, more than being frustrated, he’s exhausted. He had been struggling for so long to have things under control, and now he just doesn’t know what to do anymore.

Mingyu simply stops to think.

Mingyu lies down in silence. He might have fallen asleep, as he didn’t notice the time passed. It is dark when he wakes up with a start, a sudden thought on his mind that came from his subconscious. He reaches for his phone and opens his browser. _Fuck it._

X

Mingyu had not done any work that night, but he did do plenty of research.

The thought that came to him in his sleep was the phrase “Never worry about money again!” He remembers where he had read that, so right now he is on the website.

Before this, he had read articles about the website, whether it is legitimate, the terms and conditions, and even reviews. He learned that sugarrush.com is the highest rated site that caters to people who are seeking benefactor-sugar baby arrangements. He had read glowing reviews about the site, and even some not-so-good ones. The overall impression is that most people have had good experience with the website, on both ends of the arrangement.

He next did some research on sugaring; as a way to earn a living, what it entails, and what both parties expect. He’s surprised to know that the average amount earned monthly by a sugar baby is much, much higher than he thought. Most of the things he had already thought of before regarding what is expected was confirmed by the articles he read; however, he’s also pleasantly surprised that not everything in these arrangements are sexual. Many articles emphasized companionship as the main thing sought by benefactors; sexual activities may or may not be included based on what was agreed by both parties.

Assured by this information, Mingyu decides to sign up and create his profile tonight. He learns that signing up as a potential sugar baby is free, while potential benefactors would have to pay a membership premium. However, applications for being a sugar baby is screened to ensure “quality” profiles. Mingyu’s eyebrows raise at that.

The sign-up form is quite long and goes deep into his personality traits and preferences. Mingyu tries to be honest in his responses as much as possible.

He is nearing the end of the form when the apartment door opens, and Seungkwan enters. Mingyu greets him while still focused on his phone.

“You’re not doing essays? I thought you have to plenty to finish.”

Mingyu shrugs. “My laptop’s broken again. I’ll just do them in the library.”

Seungkwan goes to the laptop on the desk and presses the power button. Nothing happens as expected. “That sucks. I can go with you in the library tomorrow, I think. I have to start my review for next week.”

“Seungkwan?”

“Hm?”

Mingyu puts down his phone for the meantime and pulls out the slip in his pocket, handing it to Seungkwan.

“You and Wonwoo offered to help me before with cash. Can I take that offer?”

Seungkwan reads the slip, then looks at Mingyu worried. “Oh, Mingyu. Of course, we can help you. I’ll take care of this tomorrow, don’t worry about it.” He sits beside where Mingyu is lying, looking down his friend.

“Thanks, Seungkwan. I really wouldn’t bother you and Wonwoo but today all these things popped up and it’s just… too much.”

“I’m glad you asked for our help. You know you can always rely on any of us, right? I know you’re the same for us too.”

“Of course. And don’t worry, I’ll find a way to pay you and Wonwoo back very soon.”

“Don’t stress yourself over it too much. You can pay us back as soon as you can after the semester. Let’s just focus on the exams for now, huh?”

Mingyu doesn’t answer and just says another thanks. In his mind, if all goes well with his new plans, he can pay them back as soon as this weekend.

He’ll worry about his laptop and his schoolwork tomorrow. For now, he just needs to finish this sign-up form then get a rest. One step at a time.

X

“Your cereal’s getting soggy,” Seungkwan says. He has a towel slung on his shoulder, and he is rummaging his closet for some clothes to prepare to shower. “What got you so focused on your phone so early in the morning?”

“Nothing,” Mingyu answers, and takes a spoonful of his cereal just for Seungkwan’s satisfaction. “Just… emails.”

Seungkwan looks at him unimpressed but doesn’t press on anyway. “I’ll go ahead and shower first. Be done with those emails and prepare for class. Don’t be late!”

“Yes, dad.” Mingyu ducks as Seungkwan tries to hit him playfully with his towel.

He had gone to sleep earlier than usual, and so he woke up before his alarm, which happens rarely. He checked the time on his phone and was surprised to see an email.

_“Hi Kim Mingyu, we are happy to inform you that your application to SugarRush is approved! You can now start using the app to connect…”_

It was merely 6 hours from when Mingyu finished signing up to the approval email; Mingyu doesn’t know if that is a good sign.

From the early hours of the morning, Mingyu has been scrolling through the app. He saw that his profile was made using some of the information he provided on the sign-up form. His profile says “Gyu, 22, Student, Looking for a sugar daddy”. In it was the photos he had chosen to submit; one was a mirror selfie with him in casual clothes, another is a candid shot of him in trendier clothes from the one time that they dressed up for the school fair. The last one is him in his usual campus clothing and wearing his reading glasses.

The thing is, he’s not sure what photos to use initially; what photos would boost his chances with benefactors on the app? Should he choose more _daring_ photos? There aren’t any pointers on the sign-up form. He cannot compare his profile with the other potential sugar babies on the app; his access only shows profiles of sugar daddies.

And that’s all that Mingyu has been doing earlier; going through profiles of various (older) men. The mechanics is the same as your usual dating app; press the check mark if you like the profile, and press “X” if you do not. You will get a “match” if you and the other person both “liked” each other, and then you can send each other a message.

Mingyu is not big on dating apps; the concept of deciding if you like someone based only on photos and shor descriptions is weird to him. This time though, Mingyu took it very seriously. He pondered over every profile for a minute, scrolling through their photos and taking note of whatever information is available about them. In his mind he has some arbitrary criteria of who he wants; someone preferably in the same city, age within what Mingyu is comfortable with, and whose profile or photos are what he deems not shady. This naturally means that he liked very few profiles; he’s surprised though that every profile he had liked resulted to a match.

He moved on to chatting with his matches; several of them had sent him messages almost instantly. The conversations ranged from casual to creepy; he had stopped replying to a user who kept on calling “baby boy” and referring to himself as “daddy”. He had also politely turned down a user who admitted that he has a wife and children and is just looking for a sugar baby on the side. What he is left with are three guys whose profiles he is not really sure about after a second review. He figures he will continue chatting with them until he gets an offer, and he will decide then if he will accept.

A new message pops up at the top of his screen:

_Jihoon: Hey_

_Jihoon: A management student?_

Mingyu stares at the icon and clicks on it to view again the user’s profile. _Jihoon, Corporate Executive, 31._ He recalls that the whole profile had made him suspicious. Thirty-one is by far the youngest user he had encountered on the app, and the photos are of a man who looks quite young and handsome, in various casual settings. What is a relatively young guy doing in an app for sugar arrangements? Despite thinking that the profile might be fake, Mingyu had clicked like.

He returns to the chat box and types:

_Gyu: Accounting, actually._

_Gyu: What made you think that?_

_Jihoon: The book in your last photo_

_Jihoon: I’ve used it before. Majored in business management._

Mingyu goes to his profile to check. The corner of his management book is in the bottom of the photo, showing the authors and the publishing company. This Jihoon must be familiar with the book if he caught it just by those details.

_Jihoon: So an accountant. You must be smart._

_Jihoon: What year?_

_Gyu: 3 rd year._

_Gyu: I’m guessing you own a business?_

_Jihoon: Part owner of some_

_Jihoon: I head a subsidiary of my family’s business. I do have my own ones._

_Gyu: A rich heir…_

_Gyu: What’s your family’s business?_

_Gyu: I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer_

_Jihoon: It’s okay_

_Jihoon: We own food establishments_

Mingyu catches his breath as Jihoon mentions some familiar restaurants that they own. Some of them are all over Seoul and Mingyu had been in many of them.

_Jihoon: I handle luxury dining in my division_

_Gyu: That’s sick_

_Gyu: I mean, cool_

_Gyu: For real tho_

_Gyu: What are you doing here?_

_Gyu : This app_

_Jihoon: A friend signed me up here as a gift_

_Jihoon: It’s a joke, obviously. But he’s also half serious._

_Jihoon: He might be up to something because I met you._

_Jihoon: You’re my type._

Mingyu stares at the last three words. Is he seriously feeling flattered from a stranger’s compliments?

_Gyu: Thanks.. you look fine as well_

_Gyu: Like, unreal_

_Jihoon: Unreal?_

_Mingyu: Sorry, just_

_Mingyu: I can’t believe that a person like you is here_

_Jihoon: Okay_

_Jihoon: How can I prove to you that I’m real_

_Gyu: Idk… Selfie?_

_Gyu: ASKDSAA_

Mingyu waits for a while until Jihoon sends a reply.

_(Jihoon sent a photo)_

In the photo is the same man as in the profile, taken from an awkward angle from below. He looks like he is wearing a plain white shirt, and he’s wearing wire-framed glasses. Like in his profile, his features give off a younger vibe, but the way the photo was taken and his expression on camera – eyes judging and not smiling – reminds Mingyu of a much older person. This is the way he imagines a grandpa would take selfies. _Adorable._

_Jihoon: Do I pass the test?_

_Gyu: Not really._

_Gyu: I have to ask you for many more selfies of you holding things_

_Gyu: LOL jk_

_Jihoon: If you say so I will_

_Jihoon: Or how about_

_Jihoon: we meet in person so you can see me?_

Mingyu almost spits out his cereal. Did he already receive an invitation for meet up? He read before that arrangements are almost always agreed to during a meet up. He sees that Jihoon is typing after a moment that he has not replied.

_Jihoon: Too soon?_

_Jihoon: It’s alright if you’re not interested. No pressure_

_Gyu: Yes_

_Gyu: I mean I’m interested_

_Gyu: But my only free time is weekend?_

_Jihoon: Fine by me_

_Jihoon: We can talk here until then_

_Jihoon: So you can be sure_

Mingyu is surprised to discover that he is not as apprehensive about meeting up as he thought he would be, after confirming that Jihoon is real. After all, isn’t getting an arrangement his goal in this? And it seems that he is pretty lucky to already have a good chance of having one with this Jihoon guy.

But then maybe there’s a catch. What if he’s married? Engaged? Is not actually an executive but a drug dealer? That looks just as possible to Mingyu. Knowing as much as he can about this guy is the best way to this, he decides.

_Gyu: Sure, let’s do that._

X

Mingyu’s days pass by with him being busy with schoolwork, but also chatting with Jihoon during short breaks. At this point he had already dropped conversations with other users on the app, even if he had already received invites for meet up to discuss offers.

The thing is, Mingyu is also not big on messaging, but he did his assignment of knowing more about the other guy. He asked questions, careful not to come across as being nosey. Jihoon always answered, and also asked Mingyu questions about his day, or his opinions or preferences on some seemingly random things like music or movies.

Their conversations branch out from those; Jihoon is honest and straight to the point, which made things easy for Mingyu. Jihoon had told him in passing that the fine-dining restaurant he manages. One internet search of the restaurant yielded several locations in different cities in Asia. Articles also came up about the restaurant being awarded three stars. That article mentioned the Lee family of the food and restaurant industry, but not Jihoon specifically.

When Saturday came up, Mingyu had found no reason to back out from their meet up.

Mingyu agreed to meet Jihoon for lunch in a restaurant that the latter chose. Following internet tips about meeting internet dates for the first time, Mingyu opted to go by himself even though Jihoon offered to pick him up. He also tried to follow Jihoon’s tip to just dress casually; it still took him an hour deciding what he would wear and if the outfit is still casual or _too_ casual. By the time he gets to the restaurant, the face that he is expecting to see is already seated.

He had already expected that Jihoon is short, based on the photos of him that he has, but the height difference between them still surprised him. Jihoon barely reaches his shoulders, Mingyu observes when the guy walks up to greet him. But his build is almost the same as Mingyu himself. If Jihoon is also surprised by his height, he doesn’t show; instead he looks quite _pleased_ as he looks up at Mingyu. He’s also dressed casually, a plain wool sweater and pants. They shake hands and Jihoon pulls him to a brief hug.

“Gyu, nice to see you.” His voice has a nice timbre.

Mingyu gets confused for a second. “Uh, I’m sorry. My name’s actually Mingyu. Kim Mingyu.”

“Ah, I see. I’m Lee Jihoon.” The guy smiles, doesn’t seem bothered about Mingyu not telling him his real name previously. “I’m sure we have a lot to talk about, but let’s order our food first.” He gestures the menu laid out in front of Mingyu.

Mingyu nods and briefly scans the unfamiliar dishes and descriptions on the menu. Even though the restaurant is on the casual side of high end, the prices are what Mingyu had expected. One appetizer alone can pay for Mingyu’s food budget for a day. “I’ll have whatever you are having.”

Jihoon nods and gestures for a server. He recites their order, which is quite a long list. He asks Mingyu at one point if he drinks, to which Mingyu says yes. “And my usual bottle of wine, two glasses.” He finishes and thanks the server.

“It’s one of my favorite restaurants,” Jihoon explains.

  
“Do you own this one as well?’

Jihoon nods.

“Then the food must be phenomenal, I’m sure,” Mingyu says.

Jihoon tips his head to the side. “How are you sure?”

“Just, you know. You look like you can Gordon Ramsay the chefs who work here.”

Jihoon laughs. “I don’t do that. They always get it right every time.”

He clears his throat. “I want to get this out of the way so we can just enjoy the food later. I’d like to make an arrangement with you.”

Mingyu’s pulse picks up. Already? He recalls all the key points that he read about agreeing to an arrangement. “Okay. What are the terms?” He tries to sound not nervous.

“I want an exclusive arrangement. I can pay higher than usual for that.”

Mingyu thinks about it briefly and nods, signaling Jihoon to go on.

“Mainly, I need companionship. I know you’re busy and so am I, but if you can make time for me once or twice a week, during weeknights or weekends, then that would be great. Your studies would take priority of course. I’ll inform you early if I want to meet up so you can work your schedule around it, or just tell me if it won’t work.”

“I can do that.”

“As for financially, I’ll send you a monthly allowance, and I will also cover your tuition and rent. I’ll cover all expenses every time we go out. I also want to give you gifts from time to time. Do you have anything you want right now?”

Truthfully, Mingyu just feels overwhelmed hearing what is being laid on the table for him. All of it doesn’t seem to sound real. “None that I can think of.”

“It’s okay, but please think about it. I’d like to give you something today as a thank you for meeting me,” Jihoon tells him firmly, as if this is not up for discussion.

“Okay,” Mingyu agrees. He feels like they have skipped something important though, and he tenses when it comes to him. “How about our physical relationship?”

Jihoon stares at him while sipping at his glass of water, as if considering this well. “Whatever you are comfortable with. I’ll let you set the rules.”

Oh.

Mingyu had thought about this before, and he really had already decided he can agree with a physical relationship if that’s what Jihoon wants. But now Jihoon is giving Mingyu the option to say no. Mingyu thinks about it; Jihoon had laid out for him more than he thought he would get.

“We can go all the way. Everything must be consensual, and I can always say no whenever I want. And we’ll always wear protection”

“Of course. I agree to everything,” Jihoon says. “I also want to add, you can end this arrangement anytime you want, no questions asked.”

“Then we have a deal.”

“Great! I’m glad we have that out of the way. I’m looking forward to spending more time with you, Mingyu.” Jihoon’s smile is somehow comforting to Mingyu, and he lets himself relax.

“Me too, Jihoon,” Mingyu says, and he feels comfortable saying that.

“Ah, the food’s here!” Jihoon’s face practically light up as he eyes excitedly the first set of dishes being laid out.

The rest of the lunch goes on better than Mingyu expected.

X

Though he agreed to be take Jihoon’s car, Mingyu insisted that he be dropped one bus station away from his apartment. So he rides the bus as the night time approaches, a large box in a shopping bag set on the floor beside his seat.

After their lunch date, Jihoon convinced to take Mingyu out shopping for his gift. Mingyu, after much thinking, decided on something practical; a replacement for his laptop, explaining the reason. As soon as he said it, he realized that a laptop might actually be more expensive than what Jihoon is willing to spend. Jihoon, however, did not even blink and took him to a computer store.

They came out of the store with Jihoon carrying a laptop model that Mingyu knows is three times the price of his old current one. They went to a coffee shop after, neither of them eager to end the day.

Mingyu’s phone lights up with two notifications. He checks and sees that the first one is a message from Jihoon, thanking him for his time. The second one is from his bank, informing him of an amount transferred to his account. He recalls that Jihoon had asked for his bank details at the coffee shop. Mingyu’s mind spins; the amount is much higher than he expected. With this money, he can pay Seungkwan and Wonwoo and still have extra money for the rest of the month.

He transfers his payment to his friends, adding some on top of it as a thank you.

X

The next week is a busy week for Mingyu, with all his final examinations and submission of papers and project. He had mentioned it to Jihoon during their meet up, and Jihoon shared that he too will be busy with work during the week. This means that they barely talk; they exchange messages during some nights, but no long conversations like before.

Mingyu, of course, is glad to have little distraction during exam week. He feels good about his performance this semester, and he wants to make sure that his final grades would show that by acing his exams.

As expected, Seungkwan and Wonwoo have asked about Mingyu’s new laptop and his sudden ability to pay. Mingyu had told them that he earned money from the a new tutoring gig during weekend, and he got the laptop for installment. Wonwoo in particular is geeking out on the laptop’s model and Mingyu has to avoid persistent questions from his friend about it. Fortunately, their final exams also made his friends busy on their own, and these things were forgotten, or put in the backseat for now.

By the end of the week, Mingyu feels completely spent and ready to take a rest. He sleeps for almost 12 hours, waking up at noon on Saturday morning with a text.

_Jihoon: Can we meet up later?_

Mingyu jolts awake. He sees Seungkwan from across the room, awake but still lying on his bed, watching something on his phone.

_Of course. Where and_ _what time?_ Mingyu replies. It’s a good thing that he had also taken this Saturday off in his coffee shop. He thinks he should probably decide if he should keep this job; not that he doesn’t want to work there anymore, but he expects it would conflict with the time he would spend with Jihoon.

Jihoon replies that he has actually not decided what they’ll do yet.

_Jihoon: Just want to see you_

_Jihoon: Can I just pick you up at 5?_

_Mingyu: Sure. I’ll be at the bus station before._

_Jihoon: Got it. See you, Mingyu._

Mingyu spends the next 5 hours slowly getting ready. He eats a late lunch while watching a mindless reality show on netflix, and then takes a long, luxurious shower. Seungkwan had already dressed up and went out before him, telling Mingyu about a certain meet up with some classmates that he will attend. This is favorable for Mingyu, because he knows he has to try on several outfits first before he can decide on one. This would have raised some questions from Seungkwan when he thinks Mingyu is just going to his weekend tutoring job.

Mingyu had plenty of time to think about this arrangement that he has agreed to, and he concluded two things: one, that he got lucky with Lee Jihoon. Someone like him as a benefactor is very rare, as he learned from the app and the experiences that he has read about. Jihoon is relatively young, good-looking and has deep pockets On top of it he has never made Mingyu uncomfortable. Pretty low maintenance; all Mingyu has to do is be available when he calls for him, and even with that, Jihoon has told him that he’s very busy these days and he wouldn’t be calling Mingyu much at all. This leads to Mingyu’s second conclusion: this, after all, is a job that Mingyu has signed up for, and so he needs to be good at this. This means being a damn good companion or eye candy, whatever Jihoon wants.

With plenty of time, Mingyu goes through his clothes. Since he does not know where they would go later, he decides on a casual look just like last time. He tries on several outfits before deciding on a light colored ensemble of buttoned printed shirt and light denim jeans. He evaluates the look in the mirror, and decides that styling his hair and a little make up would complete the look. He had borrowed from Seungkwan’s products before, which the latter knows and didn’t mind. In fact, he encourages Mingyu to use them more.

Mingyu tries his best with a hair comb, setting spray, some concealer to hide his dark circles and a few blemishes, and a brown eye pencil. With the last one he tries to copy what Seungkwan does to his eyelids when he lets him, and the result is not too bad. He should probably learn more about this. He finishes everything with a red liptint.

He certainly looks good, if he says so himself. He wonders what Jihoon would think, or if he would even notice.

He goes out of the the door 30 minutes before five, which means he will be at the bus station a little early. This is fine by Mingyu. He texts Jihoon that he is already on the way. He receives a reply as he gets off the bus.

_Jihoon: Driving. I’ll be there in ten._

True enough, a white BMW pulls up on the roadside almost ten minutes after. The window rolls down and Jihoon calls out to Mingyu.

The few people at the bus stop stares at the car and its driver, and then at Mingyu as he walks to the car and rides in front.

“Hey,” Jihoon greets him.

“Hi,” Mingyu says. “What’s up with the business attire?” He stares at the man’s long-sleeved shirt and tie. In it, Jihoon looks the part of a respectable CEO, not that Mingyu had ever doubted that about him before.

“Ah,” Jihoon looks down on his outfit. “I went to an early business meeting then went straight to the airport. I slept on the plane, so please excuse me if I look like a mess.”

_No, you look hot as –_ “You were abroad?”

“I might have not mentioned it, but the restaurant that we opened this week was in Hongkong.”

“And you just got back?”

“Yeah. I had a driver bring my car to the airport, then I drove here. I’ve been waiting to see you all week.” Jihoon smiles and starts to drive off.

“I see,” is all Mingyu could muster as a reply.

“Please do remind me to look straight ahead while driving.”

“Why?”

“Coz you look so good today. It’s distracting,” Jihoon turns his head to Mingyu and smiles playfully.

“Did you make this arrangement just so you can practice your unused pick up lines?”

Jihoon laughs. “It’s true though!”

“Thanks. Look straight ahead.” Mingyu points forward.

“Alright,” Jihoon complies. “But I’m not kidding.”

“Okay, thanks.” Mingyu is pleased to hear it.

“How’s your exams by the way?”

Mingyu did not expect for the other to ask, so he is not sure how much to say. “Good, I think? I don’t usually feel that way after exams, but I really prepared for them right before.”

“That’s great. I have something for you on the backseat.”

Mingyu turns around. The “something” is several shopping bags bearing fashion labels that Mingyu had only seen previously on Instagram. He reaches for the closest one and pulls out the contents; it is a shirt and a jacket. He guesses the other bags also has clothing in them.

“What is this for?”

“Just something to congratulate you for doing well,” Jihoon says, looking satisfied with his answer.

“But what if I flunked my exams?”

“Then it’s something to cheer you up?” Jihoon says sheepishly. “Okay, the truth is I just want to get you something. They said Hongkong is a good place to shop for fashion. I don’t love shopping, but it’s a pity. I got some from brands that I think you’d like, and I also guessed your size.”

Mingyu eyes the white oversized shirt on his lap, feels the quality fabric and the black printed letters in front. It’s stylish. It’s amazing. He can see himself wearing it, he just has to somehow get over the fact that this probably cost as much as his smartphone. “I like it. I like these. Thank you.”

“I’m glad you like them.” And Jihoon does look happy.

After a short discussion, they end up watching a movie at a theater. It is something that Jihoon had not done in a long time, he said. The film is a romantic musical, and Mingyu liked it more than he thought he would. Jihoon too, looks like he had a good time.

They have dinner at a different place, this time a traditional seafood place that Jihoon also owns. Mingyu cannot fault Jihoon’s expertise in good places, as the food, like in their first date, is great. Mingyu is having a good time, and he thinks briefly about where all of this might lead to later in the night.

Hence Mingyu didn’t expect it when Jihoon asks him if he should drop him off at the same place as they are leaving the restaurant. Is he reading into this wrong? Is Jihoon really interested (in him)?

But Jihoon looks happy and satisfied, he reasons. Maybe Jihoon is more tired than he shows after his travel today and just wants to rest. Maybe tonight is not yet _that_ night.

"Thank you for today, Mingyu. I had a good time.” Jihoon’s youthful grin is all that Mingyu needs to believe that he really had a good time. Like this, Jihoon looks relaxed and less serious.

“Thanks again for all these gifts,” Mingyu says, gathering all the bags in one hand as he prepares to get out of the car. He stares at Jihoon for a second, thinking of something to express how grateful he is. “Jihoon, look straight ahead.”

Jihoon quickly follows suit and looks on the road. Mingyu leans forward from his seat to reach Jihoon, planting a brief kiss to his cheek.

“Good night!” He opens the door and gets out. He feels Jihoon’s stare just following him and hears a laugh and a “good night” before he has closed the door.

_Yeah_ , Mingyu thinks, _I can get good at this job._

**Author's Note:**

> You've come to the end of the first part. Thank you!


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